Against the Revolt to a Foreign Jurisdiction, Part 2 · Chapter 13
Chap. XIII. What is the Duty of all other Christians towards the Papists in order to the Promoting of the Common Interest of Christianity?
THough I have distinctly answered this Question in the Second Part of my Key for Catholicks, I will here answer it again, lest I be thought to run into Extreams, or encourage the Extreams of others; by all that I have here and elsewhere said. And as to the chat of Ignorant Faction, that will say I contradict my self, I will answer it with Contempt and Pity.
§ I. First, we must lay deep in our Minds, and inculcate on our Hearers the common Fundamental Truths and Duty: That Love is the Second great Commandment, like to the First: That it is the fulfilling of the Law: That he that dwells in Love dwells in God, and God in him: That he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen, loveth not God whom he never saw: That some love belongs to Enemies, and much more to Brethren: That as much as in us lyeth we must live peaceably with all Men: Yea, and follow Peace with all men.] And that these are Duties that nothing can dispense with.
§ II. We must acknowledge and commend all that is good among them; and must truly understand in what we are agreed: That is, They acknowledge all the same Books of Scripture to be the true Word of God which we acknowledge. They own all the Articles of the Creed which we own: and of the Nicene and Constantinopolitan Creed. They own all the Lord's Prayer, and all the Ten Commandments, saving that they take the Second to be but part of the First, and divide the Tenth into two. They teach in their Catechisms, all the Beatitudes, Math. 5. and the Moral Virtues, and the Graces of Faith, Hope and Love, &c. And he that practically and sincerely doth all this hath many Promises of Salvation in the Scripture.
§ III. We must not untruly fasten on them any Errour which they hold not, nor put a false sence on their words, though we may find many Protestants that so charge them; nor may we charge that on the Party which is held but by some whom others contradict. How far many Protestants herein mistake and rashly wrong them (In the Doctrine of Predestination, Free-will, Grace, Merits, Justification, Redemption, Perseverance, &c.) I have freely shewed in my Catholick Theology and End of Doctrinal Controversies; And Ludovicus le Blank after others hath excellently opened.
§ IV. We must not take all the Laity to own all that the disputing Clergy write for; when they neither understand it nor consent to it.
§ V. As we must distinguish between the Essentials of Popery, and their Integrals or other Corruptions, so we must not charge any with the first meerly for being guilty of many of the other: Else we must call all the Greeks, Moscovites, Abassines, Armenians, &c. Papists.
§ VI. We must still distinguish between Christs Catholick Church, unifyed by his own Headship only; and the Papal Church, unifyed by a pretended Universal Humane Head, Monarchical or Aristocratical. And so we must distinguish between a Christian as such, and a Papist as such. And we must hold Communion with Papists in Christianity, though not in Popery; And must grant that those that hold Christs Headship and Christianity more firmly and practically than the Pope's Headship and Popery, and seeing not the Contradiction, would renounce the Papacy if they saw it, may be saved.
§ VII. To profess utter averseness to all Reconciliation with them, and to declare them no Christians but Antichristians, that must be the Objects only of our Hostility, is to be Adversaries to the first mentioned Fundamentals, and to the common interest of Peace and Christianity.
§ VIII. We must disclaim their opinion that say that the Church became Antichristian in 300, or 400, or 600, or any time before the Popes claimed Universal Jurisdiction over the Christian World, as well as in the Roman Empire. And then the Papal revolt did not reach one half the Church.
§ IX. We must not impute the Papal or Patriarchal Vices and Pride, to the generality of the inferior Bishops, though in Councils too many were very Factious: For even a Heathen Amm. Marcellinus tells us the great difference, by Papal Pride, and lower Bishops Humility and Virtue.
§ X. We must not take the Question, whether the Pope be Antichrist as more necessary than it is; Nor make the Decision an Article of Faith, nor lay more of the stress of our difference on it than we ought: For we have many far clearer Arguments against them from plainer Scriptures.
§ XI. Therefore we must not force the vulgar to Disputes with Papists, without cause, on forced Expositions and Suppositions that turn the Revelations against Rome Papal as the Babylon and Antichrist there meant, when so much may be said, and is by some Protestants to make it likely that it is but Rome Pagan that is there meant. We must not give their Disputers the advantage of Challenging us before the Vulgar, to name one Man for a Thousand Years and more after Christ, that expounded the Revelation as we do, or that took the Pope to be Antichrist.
§ XII. We must not imitate the great Novel Expositors of the Revelation, that make the seven Churches to be seven States and Ages of the Universal Church, and two of them to be in the World to come after the Conflagration; and consequently, that if by the Angel of each Church be meant the Bishop (either alone or with his Elders, as most think old and new Expositors) then an Universal Humane Head is of Gods Institution. And if that be true, then P…pery will be right in its Essentials, and we in the wrong. We must take heed therefore of the ignorant factious Zeal of over-doers, that make men Papists by false opposing them.
§ XIII. We must take heed lest we make any one falshood a part of the Protestant Religion and Reformation (much less many plain falshoods as too many do). For when Papists find any such Untruths, they will judge of our Religion in the main by those.
§ XIV. We must see that in the Form of our Government and Worship, we own not Principles of Confusion, and set not up our selves, our devised terms of Church Admittance and Communion, and thereby seem to justifie such Additions among Papists and others.
§ XV. We must live in Love and Peace and Concord among our selves, that our Fractions, Sects, and Errours and envious Oppositions, make us not a scorn, and make not Papists think that we are mad, and that there is no way to Unity and Peace but in Popery, uniting under one Humane Head.
§ XVI. We must own Christian Communion Indefinite, and as Universal as Capacity alloweth, while we disown. Universal Humane Jurisdiction. But we must understand well the difference.
We are ex Authoritate Imperantis bound to obey Jurisdiction: But to hold Agreements nothing binds us but God's general Commands for Peace and Concord, and our own Contract and the common good. So that if Councils agree on any thing contrary to these Ends, no Church is bound by such their Canons, nor to consent. Just as a Diet of Kings and States are free to consent or dissent to a Major Vote, as the reason of the thing requireth (and no further) for the common advantage of Christianity. But have no one King Universal to whom they are all Subjects.
§ XVII. Yet if any King and People will be so slavish as to subject themselves to a foreign King or Jurisdiction, their own consent may oblige them as far as Self-enslaving may do.
§ XVIII. We must not deny what good use God hath made of Rome's Grandure, Unity and Concord: It's like else Christianity had not kept up such advantages of strength, wealth and concord against the great Power of the Mahometan and Heathen Enemies.
§ XIX. We must not by the Scandals of some Persons or Fraternities, be drawn to think the rest are like them, nor to deny but such men as Bernard, Gerson, and abundance of Fryars, and Nuns, though zealous for the Roman Concord, were godly excellent Persons: Even in the dark Ages of their Church, what abundance of most learned School Doctors had they, in which much Piety also appeared (as in Bonaventure, Aquinas, Henricus ab Hassia, and many such. As also in many of their Bishops, as Borornaeus, Sales, &c. And in the Oratorians, and many most Learned Jesuits. All this we must candidly confess and honour.
§ XX. The common Interest of Humanity, Christianity and God's foresaid fundamental Precepts, oblige Protestant and Papist Princes to Confederate how to live peaceably among themselves, and to unite against the Common Enemies, while they cannot yet agree in the Points of Difference. That so far as they are agreed, they may walk by the same rule.
§ XXI. I think we should hurt no Papist in Body or Goods, any further than is necessary to our own Defence, and the Defence of the Truth, and Souls of Men, and the Kingdoms safety. But win them by Love.
§ XXII. Because a factious Sollicitation of the ignorant to submit to their foreign Jurisdiction, is enmity to Kings, and States, and Churches, as against their Essential Rights, the unpeaceable managing of Disputes and Endeavours to such Treason and Slavery, may be as much restrained by Law, as Men may be restrained from teaching that Wives must forsake their Husbands & lie with other Men, and Children forsake their Parents, and Soldiers their Kings and Captains, and all obey the Pope against them.
§ XXIII. Yet because they will say that we dare not hear the truth, I think it not amiss, if they be allowed some time, when the Rulers think fit (not to challenge weak Ministers at pleasure to Dispute) but in a fit Assembly to say what they can, so be it they will withal there hear what can be said against them, by some able Divine chosen by the King, Bishop or Ministers? who also should choose the time and place.
These terms are better than the unreconcileable Hostility kept up by the terms of Antichrist and Heretick.
§ XXIV. And (though the unlearned have safer and better Books enough to read) I think it will do much to rectifie mens Judgments that are inclined to extreams, and to mellow and sweeten their hearts into Christian Love, if the Learned would read the Devotional Pious Writings of Papists; such as Bernaud, Gerson, Gerhardus Zutphaniensis, Sales, Kempis, Thauleros, Benedictus de Benedictis Regula Vitae; Barbanson, Ferus, the Oratorians, and in English, The Interior Christian, Parsons of Resolution, Baker, the Life of Nerius, and of Mr. de Renti, and other such.
They would find there so much of God as would win their affections to a Brotherly Kindness, while they find so much of that which is in themselves. Holy breathings after God, are savory to those that have the like. I know those that have read or heard such books as these, that have said, How have we misunderstood the Papists? If an esteemed Minister should Preach part of The Interior Christian. or such another book, and not tell his hearers whose it was, I doubt not but many godly people, would cry it up for a most excellent Sermon: When as if they before knew that it was a Papists they would run away.
I do not by any of this encourage any raw ungrounded Protestants to cast themselves on the Temptation of Popish Company or Books: But that you may see that I write not this rashly and without just cause, I will instance in one Book called Bunnys Resolution; It was written by Parsons, one accounted a most traiterous Jesuite, and Edmund Bunny Corrected and Published it; (and Parsons Reprinted it with more Popery, reviling Bunny for being so bold with his Book, as to spunge out the Popish Errours. I have met with several eminent Christians that magnified the good they had received by that Book.
When I was 21 years of Age, the Bishops severity against Private Meeting caused many excellent Christians in Shrewsbury to meet secretly for mutual Edification: At one of these where was of Ministers Mr. Cradock, Mr. Rich. Simonds, and Mr. Fawler (cast out at Bridewell Church since) Mr. Simonds said, that there were some godly women in great doubt of the sincerity of their Conversion, because they knew not the Time, Means and Manner of it, and desired all that were willing to open the case of their own, to satisfie such. I remember but one that could tell just the Time, Means and Manner, but with most it began early, and was brought on by slow degrees; but so as some One Time and Means made a more observable change than any other: Among these three spake their own case, that after many Convictions, and a love to Piety, the first lively motion that awakened their Souls to a serious resolved care of their Salvation, was the reading of Bunnys Book of Resolution: These three were Mr. Fawler, Mr. Michael Old (for Zeal known through much of England) and my self. And having since heard of the same success with others, (when yet now there be many Books that I had rather read) I have reason to think that God notified his will, that we should (instead of rash hatred) profit by each other, and love his Word whoever writeth it.
§ XXV. And we are the more obliged to behave our selves with all due tenderness to Papists and all other exasperated parties, in the Consciousness of the aforesaid guilt that we have fallen under, to their hardening and hurt. Weakning the Protestants is strengthening the Papists. Repentance is so hard a work, that it seldom goeth well down with any party to hear of their sins, especially the most heinous, because they are most frightful and odious. But yet it is so necessary a work to Repent, necessary to the sinners, and necessary to this Land, that a Dying Minister of Christ (who daily lamenteth his own sin) should not for fear of the anger or reviling of the impenitent, omit so necessary a work, while Danger and yet Hope seem to tell us that this is the time.
Having oft done it to the displeasing of many, I will, though it yet displease, add this brief warning.
If the remembrance of the years 1643 to 1660. of all that was done in England, Wales and Scotland, against Order, Peace, Government, Ministry, sound Doctrine and Discipline, by the Sectarian Army and the Antinomian, Anabaptist and Separating Ministers and People that encouraged them, and the fatal end they came to without any bloodshed to overcome them, and the consequent changes: I say if all this convince not the Separating Sectarian sort of professors, that they have been heinously injurious to the Protestant interest, and have ignorantly kept up the life of Popish hopes, I know not what means can convince such men.
II. And if after all the Miseries of former divisions and uncharitable violence, before and in the Wars, those that have added the greater burdens, and revengefully done what I love not so oft to mention, by Laws, execution and additional reproach, upon Corporations, Churches, Universities, Ministers, and brought and yet keep the Land by resolved obstinacy, in its divided dangerous sinful state, and lock up their Church door against desired Unity and Concord, and all this for nothing, but to justify the revengeful changers and their own complying acts, I say again, and again, if all this after the last thirty years experience added to all before, seem to the guilty no wrong to the Protestant interest, nor to the Nations Peace and Hopes, nor any advantage to Popery, nor any sin against Christ in his Servants, the Lord take some extraordinary effectual way, to convince, heal and save so blind and obdurate a people: for I see no hope of ordinary means.
The God of Peace have mercy upon an Ignorant Vnpeaceable World, and prepare us by Faith, Hope and Love for the World of Love and Peace. Amen.